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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2022 Apr:102:103607.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103607. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Examining reactions to smoking and COVID-19 risk messages: An experimental study with people who smoke

Zachary B Massey  1 , Hue Trong Duong  2 , Victoria Churchill  3 , Lucy Popova  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Examining reactions to smoking and COVID-19 risk messages: An experimental study with people who smoke

Zachary B Massey et al. Int J Drug Policy. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Smoking cigarettes worsens COVID-19 outcomes, and news media and health agencies have been communicating about that. However, few studies have examined how these messages affect attitudes, beliefs, and behavioral intentions of people who smoke. These are critical variables that can inform public health campaigns to motivate quitting smoking during the COVID-19 crisis.

Methods: In August 2020, we conducted an online experiment in the U.S. with 1,004 adults who smoke. Participants were randomized to one of four message conditions: COVID-19 risk, smoking risk, combined risk of smoking for COVID-19 severity, or a non-risk control. Outcomes were message reactions (emotions and reactance), attitudes and beliefs (severity, susceptibility, self-efficacy, response efficacy for smoking and COVID-19, and conspiracy beliefs), and behavioral intentions (smoking intentions, COVID-protective intentions, and information-seeking).

Results: Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that combined risk messages elicited higher perceived severity of smoking-related disease than control messages. Similarly, the combined risk condition resulted in greater intentions to quit smoking in the next month (vs. COVID-19 risk condition) and intentions to reduce smoking in the next 6 months (vs. smoking risk and control; ps < .05). Multivariate logistic regression found that exposure to the combined risk messages (vs. control as referent) was associated with higher odds of mask-wearing intentions in the next 2 weeks (AOR = 1.97).

Conclusions: Health agencies can possibly use messages that communicate about the combined risk of smoking and COVID-19 as a novel strategy to motivate people who smoke to quit and take protective action for COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Health communication; Smoking cessation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of Interest None declared.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Example images and text for the experimental message conditions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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